Arch support



Dec. 4, 1928.

)Win ess maken" 1,694,315 w. F. DUNLOP ARCH SUPPORT Filed Dec. v15. 19242 Sheets-Sheet 1 31a/vanto@ Dee. 4, '1928.l 1,694,315

W. F. DUNLOP Agca sPPonr' Filed Dec. 15. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @nue/nto@www 4 l M Cil Patented Dec. 4, 1928?.

ineens WILLIAM F.V DUNLOP, OIL1 NEW" YORK, Y.

ARCH SUPPORT.

Appneauon sled December 15, 1924. serial No. 756,106.

My present invention pertains to ar'ch supports, and it consists in anarch support possessed of certain deiiniteV and clearly definedadvantages as hereinafter set forth in detail.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part oi this specification :-V

Figures l, 2, and 3 are views illustrative ot' a shoe in which y,oneembodiment of my invention is incorporated as `a permanent and hiddenpart o1C the shoe, Figures l and 2 being longitudinal verticalfragmentary sections and Figure 3 a vertical transverse section.

Figures land 5 are enlarged plan views of 'dillerent embodiments otmyinvention, the plane of Figure l being designated by the `line 1 1 oitFigure l andthe plane ot Figure 2 being designated by the line 2 2 etFigure el.

Figure 6 is a transverse section oit the arch support shown in Figures lto fi, said Figure 6 being taken in the plane by the line 6 6 of Figure1l.

Similar numerals designate corresponding parts in Figures l, 2, 3, eland 6 to which reterence Will first be made.

My novel arch support l formed of one piece of vulcanized rubber or otany other material like vulcanized rubber', that -is capable ot beingmolded and possessed of resiliency.

In Figures i to 3, I show the said arch snpport l as permanentlyarranged in a shoe between the inner sole 2 of the shoe and the 'softleather covering 3 superpose'd on theinner sole 2 and having upwardlydirected side flanges 3X. The arch support incorporated in the shoe asstated is generally maintained in position and against casual movementby its interposition between the inner sole 2 and the covering 3, thoughWhen desired the said arch support may be provided With a brad i such asshown in Figure 6, the saidrbrad t having' an enlarged portion embeddedin the arch support l at the time of molding and also having its shankpendent from the underf side of the arch support so to talre into theinner sole 2. T would have it understood,

however, at this point that the brad 4L is designed more particularlyfor use When the arch support ismerely placed in a shoe inasmuch as thepurpose of the brad is to prevent casual shitting or change of positionot the arch support.

In carrying my invention into effect Where an arch provision is to bemade for a deformed or a defective toot, I lirst take an impression ofthe foot to be supported, in art compound or any other plastic materialsuitable tothe purv pose, and then mold a last or' appropriate materialin the matrix indicated. I then appropria-tely shape the rubber on thesaid last, and

Whilethe rubber is held under pressure against the last, I vulcaniZe therubber so that thearch support of vulcanized rubber Will at its upperside have the shape of and uf'illsnugly and correctly tit the foot fromwhichy the injipres" sion is taken. It Will also be understood in thisconnection that inconformity with the underside of the arched or instepportion oi" the human toot the arch support l Will be in generallongitudinally convex at its upper side and longitudinally concave atits underside, While transversely thearch support Will be concave at itsupper side and convex at its underside, these latter features being dueto the fact that in all cases the arch support Will have side tianges 5and 6 possessed oi resiliency and constituting important features of myinvention.

In the prei-erred incorporation of the arch support produced andcharacterized as stated in a shoe as a permanent and hidden part of theshoe, the inner solev 2 ot the shoe is taken in wet state Vand is shapedby pressure or otherwise to the underside of the arch support l, and astheshoe is fabricated the arch support is made in the shoe-i. e.,between the inner sole 2 andthe sott leathercovering 3, the saidcovering 3 beingl put in position after the shoe is practicallylinished.

By virtue of my novel arch support being` produced as stated it Will bemanifest that the arch support Will support the :toot and Willprotectall joints and Will distribute the pressure throughout the metatarsalregion oi? the foot so that the pushing of any bone out oit place Willbe averted. The archsupport characterized asstated Will also operate tospread the toes, and the two side flanges 5 and (i ot' the arch supportnull have a massaging action against the foot and at the same time Willconfine between them and prevent spreading port adequately braces thedislocated or deformed joint or part. it its rear end the arch support lis provided with a reducedv portion or tongue 1X, best shown in Figure4, and this reduced tongue or end portion lX is adapted to spring orgive when the major portion of the arch support does not spring or giveso as to conduce to the comfort of the shoe walker in walking. l

The arc-h support l is provided at 7 on its underside with a ridge whichis generally transverse of the arch support and is employed when thearch support is to be used by a heavy person. The arch support l is alsoshown asprovided with forwardly extending ridges 8 at its underside andarranged at opposite oblique angles with respect to each other, the saidridges 8 extending from in termediate side portions of the arch supportto the forward end thereof and having` their forward ends spaced apartas clearly brought out in Figure l. Tlie'said converging ridges 8 permitof the forward end of the arch sup.

Avribs, the arch support will be braced thereby and will yield only whensubjected `to pressure, with the result, the portions at opposite sidesof anyone ridge will be maintained sub stantially rigid while theremaining portions will yield in practically the saine manner as sandunder the foot.

incident to walking upon a hard flat surface, the ridges will supportthe foot in an` elevated position and pressure upon one side of the footwill bring` about pressure on the corresponding side of the'arch supportwhich will result in the other side of the arch sup port being thrownupwardly against the foot. Again, it will be appreciated that due to theridges and particularly the transverse ridge 7, the. arch support iscapable of working under the action of the foot so that all portions ofthe foot are adequately and comfortably supported and the imposition ofundue 'strain on any portion of the footV averted.

In this connection, I would have it understood that the transverse orcrosswise ridge 7 when employed alone in the arch will always tend tohold the inner and outer por- Lesa-,sit

tions of the'arch support in a position to serve to the best advantage,an arch support equipped with a transverse ridge 7 alone being moreparticularly designed for a person wh has had the outer portion of thefoot broken down and being also particularly desirable because of thecapacity of the arch support to rock `on this ridge as a center.

In the practical use of my invention, the improved device will serve ,asa supportand also as a builder inasmuch as it will rebuild a'bioliendown arch and restore the saine to normal condition and supportthe restored arch in said condition.

Each arch being individual to person,'the

arch will be possessed of a. particular freedom of motion so that theweight of the person will always be suticientto cause the arch to givein the direction toward which the force is exerted. Incident to walkingon rough ground my device sustains the shock and. strain and takes thesame off the bones and. ligaments or muscles of the foot, and the'devicereassuines its normal shape when the foot is at rest. In other words mynovel device being made to lit the foot when at rest the device givesand yields only when the weigl'it of the wearer is imposed on thedevice, and hence the slightest motion of the body is imparted to and isreflected in the twisting and bending of the substance of which thedevice is composed.

Then my novel device is shaped in accordance with young and normal foot,the device when used serves as a natural support so that no bone orligament is permitted to be distorted and so that the device holds theball of the foot insueh manner that the toes 'are not cramped orpermit-ted to move downwardly or upwardly, and hence there is noliability of the toes being hurt by the shoe.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to securebyLettersPatent, is

An arch support for use in a shoe and being formed from a single pieceof inolded mate rial possessed of resiliency, said support be inglongitudinally conveXed at its upper side and longitudinally concaved atits underside, side flanges included in said support, a pendent 'ridgeportion for said support with depressible portions at opposite sides ofthe ridge portion; the said ridges portion in,v cluding a transverseridge at a point intermediate the length of the arch and forwardlyconverging ridges at the forward portion of the arch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM r. DUNLor.

